


Sunrise Special

by Stariceling



Category: Sonic X
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-07
Updated: 2012-07-07
Packaged: 2017-12-06 04:55:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/731659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stariceling/pseuds/Stariceling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An impromptu camping trip with Sonic and his friends leads to a moment of Knuckles and Chris friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunrise Special

Knuckles hadn’t really taken into account that Chris didn’t have fur. He was used to the fact by now, and when he had finally suggested that sleeping outside for one night was not going to hurt anyone it had more or less slipped his mind.

He was paying for that oversight now, he decided. He had opened his eyes just before the first hint of light came into the sky, his internal clock as accurate as ever, to find the human boy huddled against him for warmth. Looking down at Chris’s messy hair, all Knuckles could do for a moment was wonder how Chris had gotten so close without waking him.

When Knuckles tried to sit up he realized that Chris also had one arm curled around him, his hand fisted in Knuckles’s dreadlocks. Unconscious heat-seeking was one thing, but that level of clinging was too much. Chris was going to have to let go, and he was going to let go now.

In spite of his vehement decision, it took Knuckles a minute to pry Chris’s hand open and extract his dreadlocked quills. More than he wanted Chris to let go, he didn’t want to wake anyone up. Sonic and the rest were still sleeping, and if they stayed that way he could avoid any mocking that could come from this unusual situation. Not that he thought Chris was in a position to tease if he woke up. More likely he’d be twice as embarrassed as Knuckles was.

Knuckles knew he didn’t really have a reason to be so careful not to wake Chris. . . Well, why couldn’t he have cuddled up to Sonic, anyway?

Once he had pried Chris off, Knuckles removed himself from the boy’s immediate vicinity. No sense giving Chris a chance to put him right back in the same position.

* * *

Chris was pretty sure it was the chill in the pre-dawn air that woke him. He curled in on himself, groping around his feet for his comforter until he realized that he was feeling dew-damp grass under his fingers. That was all it took to remind him that he wasn’t in his bed at home. He had apparently decided to sleep outside.

Now that he was thinking about it, Chris remembered the decision to stop for the night and just sleep in the grass. He opened his eyes and stretched, feeling a little stiff and cold but otherwise okay. The grass beside him was flattened down and free of dew, which made him wonder if he’d rolled over in his sleep and that was why he was cold all of a sudden.

Something was tickling his calf, and when Chris looked over he saw Tails laying close enough to flick a tail across Chris’s bare leg when he twitched in response to his dreams. He was curled up in a loose ball, still peacefully sleeping.

Looking past him, Chris saw Sonic sprawled out in the grass on his back, snoring. Tails was curled close enough that his head was tucked against Sonic’s stomach, and on the other side Amy had her head resting on Sonic’s shoulder. Cream was tucked snugly between Amy and Sonic with Cheese curled into a little ball under her chin. Chris couldn’t help smiling at the peaceful picture they all made.

Knuckles was nowhere to be seen.

The air was chilly, and though the sky was getting light the sun wasn’t up yet. He stretched again, and decided he was a little too cold to lie where he was and wait for the others to wake up.

After walking up and down in the damp grass for a few minutes, Chris climbed on top of a large, flat rock that he hoped would be hit by the sun when it finally decided to peek over the horizon. He kept rubbing his arms. He was chilly, but there was nothing he could do about it. He regretted wearing a T-shirt now.

As he sat on the rock, shivering a little, waiting for the sun to come up, Chris did wonder where Knuckles was. Maybe doing some sort of early-morning reconnaissance. That did seem to fit him. Maybe he just wasn’t comfortable sleeping in a pile of other people.

Chris didn’t hear Knuckles come up behind him until the echidna was right there next to him on the rock. One moment he was alone, the next Knuckles was just there, close enough that Chris could have reached out and touched him. Rather than startling him, Chris felt perfectly at ease with the sudden appearance. Maybe it had something to do with the sleepy pre-dawn chill in the air.

“Good morning,” Chris said softly. It didn’t seem right to speak in a normal tone of voice. Everything was still and silent around them except for the occasional faint snore from Sonic. “Or, is it morning yet? Since the sun’s not up.”

Knuckles didn’t answer, but Chris didn’t mind. He was happy to just sit quietly and watch the sky grow lighter. The few dark wisps of clouds above the horizon were slowly shifting shape and dissolving around the edges.

Chris was still shivering a little. He hugged himself, trying to rub his arms and keep them around himself at the same time. He wasn’t terribly cold, just cold enough that it was difficult to ignore.

Then, so suddenly that Chris couldn’t let out even a squeak in his surprise, Knuckles had put both arms around him. He found Knuckles’s arms crossed over his, holding him close enough that he could feel the solid warmth of Knuckles’s chest against his back.

Chris peeked back at Knuckles, who was pointedly not looking at him.

“Warmer now?” Knuckles’s voice was so low Chris wasn’t sure if he truly heard it or just felt the low rumble of it in Knuckles’s chest.

“Yes. Thank you,” Chris whispered.

They sat together in an oddly comfortable silence, watching as the sun peeked up over the horizon. Even when the silence was interrupted by an abrupt cacophony of birdsong, it didn’t manage to interrupt the feeling of peace. Chris relaxed against’s Knuckles’s chest, soaking up the warmth. He felt so comfortable he could have almost drifted back to sleep with Knuckles right there behind him. Chris was suddenly glad they had chosen to sleep outside. He was glad to have the chance to watch the sun rise with Knuckles.


End file.
